By staff and agency

Zarif: Blame Saudi Arabia and U.S. for regional instability

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has rejected the label of the world’s top sponsor of terrorism ascribed to Iran by Saudi Arabia and the U.S.

By Nicholas Kristof

So, I Asked People in Saudi Arabia About Their Mad, Murderous Crown Prince

The U.S. has leverage over Riyadh. Let’s use it.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — It’s awkward to find yourself in a police state interviewing people about their leader’s penchant for starving children, torturing women or dismembering critics.

‘National interests are not something factional’

Iran gets its security from people: Zarif

TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday that it is people who back national security in Iran.

Leader: Saudis getting more bogged down in Yemen 

TEHRAN – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia has been caught in the Yemeni quagmire and the more they try to get involved in the war against Yemenis the more they will be bogged down.

U.S., Saudi plans for replacing Iranian gas in Iraq doomed to failure

TEHRAN – Considering Iraq’s geopolitical improvements in the past few years, the Iraqi government has been seeking to improve the country’s infrastructure and one of the main areas of focus has been Iraq’s electricity network and power infrastructures.

Tehran says Saudi Arabia, UAE have monopolized PGCC

TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday indirectly slammed Saudi Arabia and the UAE for turning the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council into a body to express their own views.

PGCC is neither ‘council’ nor ‘cooperation’: advisor

TEHRAN – Hossein Amir Abdollahian, a senior foreign policy advisor to the parliament speaker, has said that neither “council” nor “cooperation” has remained from the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council.

Graham: Saudis would 'be 'speaking Farsi in about a week' without U.S. support against Iran

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told Fox News on Sunday that Saudi Arabia's military "can't fight out of a paper bag" when confronted with Mideast challenges including Iran, and insisted that the U.S. has the necessary leverage to punish the Saudi leadership for its apparent role in the murder of dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi.

OPEC agrees on larger-than-expected oil cut after marathon talks

OPEC finally broke an impasse over production curbs, agreeing on a larger-than-expected cut with allies after two days of fractious negotiations in Vienna.

Producers reach accord to remove 1.2 million barrels a day

OPEC agrees on larger-than-expected oil cut

OPEC finally broke an impasse over production curbs, agreeing on a larger-than-expected cut with allies after two days of fractious negotiations in Vienna.

OPEC yet to agree on final deal

VIENNA- Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said he wasn’t confident OPEC would reach a deal on Friday to cut oil output as sources said the producer group’s leader had yet to agree on exemptions for sanctions-hit Iran. 

By Fatemeh Salehi

Escalation of Saudi attacks against Yemen on the eve of peace talks

TEHRAN - Yemen peace talk is to start in Sweden this week between the warring sides with the presence of the Ansarollah delegation. There is a great deal of speculation over the success of the talks as a result of the Saudi-backed coalition’s hindrances and the U.S. political and military interests in the continuation of the Yemeni war. 

Iran: Brian Hook enters ‘childish show’

Tehran won’t reject neighbors’ positive gesture: Qassemi

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Monday that Iran seeks a stable Middle East region and will not give negative response to any positive gesture by any neighboring country.

Putin says Russia and Saudi Arabia to extend OPEC+ oil pact

Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed to extend into 2019 their agreement to manage the oil market, known as OPEC+, although Moscow and Riyadh have yet to agree on any fresh output cuts.

By Javad Heirannia

Murder of Khashoggi has hardened Congress resistance to nuclear agreement with KSA: Daryl Kimball

TEHRAN - Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association in Washington, says “I do not believe the Congress will approve a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia if it does not meet the “Gold Standard.”

By Javad Heirannia

‘I doubt that China or Russia would supply Saudi with enrichment or reprocessing tech’ 

TEHRAN – Professor Frank N. von Hippel, former assistant director for national security in the White House Office of Science and Technology says that “I don’t think that South Korea could sell nuclear power plants to Saudi Arabia if Saudi Arabia does not have a 123 agreement with the U.S.”

Some countries trying to harm Iran by manipulating oil market: Zanganeh

Some countries are trying to harm Iran by manipulating the oil market, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Wednesday, according to Mehr news agency.

Iran, Saudi Arabia and a history of American aggression

Tehran has repeatedly delivered on its promises, while Washington has fallen short and backed Riyadh’s disastrous regional adventures

By Martin Love

Bold counter moves even if naïve are worth marginal examination at least

NORTH CAROLINA - President Rouhani and other leaders in Iran have lately been appealing for unity among all Muslims to counter the threats posed by the Israelis and the U.S. and the Saudis to sow yet more chaos in the Middle East. No one can argue against the idea of such unity, but aside from a few discrete periods in Islamic history the effective unity of the “ummah” has been and seems to remain a chimera, a least when viewed from any purely political angle.

Western claims of support for human rights are an ‘absolute lie’

TEHRAN - Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani said on Monday that the U.S. backs various coalitions in the Middle East region to simply help the survival of the Zionist regime.

Saudi Arabia tortured female right-to-drive activists, says Amnesty

Women’s accounts include being given electric shocks and flogged, hung from the ceiling, and subjected to sexual harassment

By Javad Heirannia & Ramin Hossein Abadian

U.S. and Saudi nuclear options

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Mbs) has recently pushed a plan to build seven strategic nuclear projects in the country, including a nuclear reactor in King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology in Riyadh. The make of the first Saudi research reactor is unclear since Riyadh and Washington have not reached an agreement yet on this nuclear project.

Leader says Iran is an example of progress

TEHRAN - Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that the Iranian people and the Islamic Republic system present examples of progress to the Islam world.

CIA concludes bin Salman ordered killing of Khashoggi 

The Central Intelligence Agency has concluded that the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, ordered the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to American officials.